Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the report by Transparency International entitled Through the keyhole, published in February 2023, what recent assessment the Government has made of that report's finding that almost 52,000 UK properties are owned anonymously; and whether the Government has taken recent steps to improve transparency in UK home ownership.

There is already a high level of transparency. HM Land Registry holds publicly accessible records of the registered proprietors of land and buildings in England and Wales. If the registered proprietor is a UK company or overseas entity, information is publicly available from Companies House.

Over 28,000 overseas entities have complied with the requirements of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022. HMRC and law enforcement agencies have access to all the information provided.

Further measures to enhance land transparency are being brought forward by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities via the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.